gal 02v05 To Whom We Gave
"TO
WHOM WE GAVE
Galatians
2:5
In the early days of the church there were some
self-appointed, free-lance preachers who came from
Paul shows us by his example that THE SPIRIT AND
DOCTRINES OF LEGALISM MUST NOT BE TOLERATED BY THE PEOPLE OF GOD. It
matters not whether men preach the law of Moses as a basis for justification,
as the measure of sanctification, as a rule of life, as a motive for Christian
service, or as the grounds of reward in heaven, ALL PREACHING OF LAW WORKS
IS AN INTOLERABLE EVIL.
Let no one confuse the issue. The issue is not
godliness or ungodliness of life. The issue is not what the believer does, or
how the believer lives in this world. THE ISSUE IS THE MOTIVE AND ATTITUDE
OF THE HEART. The legalist is motivated by fear. The believer is motivated
by love. The legalist hopes to be rewarded for his work. The believer hopes to
honor God in his work. All law service is looked upon and performed as a matter
of duty. Prayer, Bible reading, attendance at public worship, and tithing
always have an element of either the fear of punishment or the promise of
reward, as they are performed by the legalist. The believer prays because his
heart longs to commune with God, reads the Word because he wants to know God,
attends worship because he desires to hear from God, and gives because he loves
God. The service and work of love is considered a privilege by the one who performs
it. And you can be sure of this: GOD WILL NEVER ACCEPT ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT
WHICH IS DONE WITH A WILLING HEART (II Cor.